Two Young Boys
by Mary B. Wolf
Summary: Before Hatter was Hatter, and before March was Mad, they were young. Two boys come across each other by chance and become friends. "Are you going to shake my hand or not? I did just save your life."


For impetusofadream over at LJ, who asked, "Can I please have...a Hatter fic about him in his younger days and possibely how he knows Mad March. *because we all know they were besties before March went batshit*" I saw their first meeting and an entire fic rolled out ahead of me. I had a lot of fun writing this. It only took about two hours, start to post-worthy. The other fic I'm posting for you is connected to this one - they're scenes out of the fic I'll be writing. Eventually. Anyway!

Enjoy two 'bratty little kids,' as my mother called them when she read this. Happy belated Christmas and New Year.

* * *

His mother was probably searching for him. She always was, even when he was sitting quietly in his room, doing his homework or doing his best to entertain his younger sister. She always seemed to notice when he was making his escape from the apartment, though, so opportunities like today's were rare.

David stretched his arm up, wrapping his fingers around the tree branch and hauling himself up to sit in the crook. There wasn't much of a view - there never was, not in this Wonderland, where the crazy Queen of Hearts built a huge city just to spend tax money and keep the people poor so they were always at the mercy of her suits and 'wonder teas' - but if he cocked his head just so and stared straight up, he could see a sliver of the sky. That was enough. For now.

A dark blur out of the corner of his eye caught David's attention. He whipped his head around and saw a huge black bird perched on a branch just above him. He smiled faintly. Animals were nice.

"Don't make any sudden moves."

David flailed and nearly fell out of the tree at the sudden low whisper.

"You idiot," the voice hissed, right as the bird shoved its wings out and cawed loudly, lunging forward in a threatening way. "I told you not to move. Those birds are vicious and they're not afraid of people." A stick hit the bird in the head and it fell backwards.

He sat, frozen and unsure of what to do, until a boy his age dropped onto the limb the bird had fallen from and stuck a hand out. "Marshall," the boy said. "M'friends call me March, though."

David studied the boy suspiciously for a moment. He had black hair, dark eyes, and olive skin with freckles all over his face. He was short and skinny and his clothes were torn, dirty, and too small. He wondered why - did the boy's parents not care if he was taken care of? That was an unspeakable offense against childkind. His mother was a flake, but at least she kept house decently.

"Well," March demanded, "are you going to shake my hand or not? I did just save your life."

David took his hand and shook it firmly. "David," he said.

"Well, David," March said amusedly, "it was funny to meet you. Next time someone tells you to stay still, _stay still."_

Tact never came easily to seven-year-olds, and before he could help himself, he blurted out, "Don't your parents wash your clothes?" Almost immediately, he blushed and looked away.

He missed March's dark scowl. "No," the other boy said shortly. "I haven't got any parents. I live in the orphanage over there."

No parents? What must that be like? His dad was away at work all the time, but his mom was always at home. And what was an orphanage? Not wanting to look stupid in front of this tough new boy, all David could say was, "Oh."

"Yeah," March said with forced lightness. Then, in a contrived attempt to steer the focus away from himself, he asked, "Do you live around here?"

"Not here," David said quickly, eager for a friend. "A few levels down in an apartment. There aren't any windows and my mother never lets me come outside and play."

A strange expression came onto March's face. It looked oddly like grief. "Never?" he repeated disbelievingly. "So why are you here now?"

"I snuck away while she was sleeping," David said. If his mother wasn't searching for him, she was sleeping. She got 'awful headaches' and had to rest to get rid of them, often leaving David and his sister to their own devices. Sarah, often as not, went across the hall to play dollies with the little girl, Molly, who lived there. He invited her to come with him sometimes, but she didn't like the outdoors.

Now March looked proud of him. "Maybe you aren't so bad," he said. "C'mon." He dropped out of the tree.

"What? Where are we going?" David didn't move, but March offered no answers.

"Come on or I'll go without you," he said plainly. David still didn't have any idea where this strange boy wanted to take him, but he knew he wasn't going to be left behind. He would already be in trouble if his mother found out he was outside by himself. Might as well make the most of it before then, he decided. So he climbed slowly down and struck off after March.

The boy led him to a busier area of town, a place where people were out and about on the streets, coming and going from buildings and carrying bags of things.

"This is the business district in this area," March explained. He was hunting for something in an alley while David looked on curiously. "People come here to shop - stuff like food and clothes and soap. The caretakers at the orphanage let some of us come with 'em once in a while." He fell silent for another moment, shoved his whole arm into a trash bin, and let out a triumphant shout. David heard a furious yowl as March lifted something from the trash bin.

It was a cat - a filthy, bony, enraged calico that hissed and tried to claw its captor's hand into ribbons, but the way he was holding it by the scruff of its neck prevented attacks.

March's expression lit gleefully as he surveyed his catch. "Perfect," he muttered. "C'mon, let's go before it gets too late." He strutted out of the alley, still clutching the cat, and walked up the street so nonchalantly that everyone ignored the dirty boy with the struggling cat. David trailed along uncertainly, wondering if he should try to find his way home before his mother woke up and he definitely got in trouble.

He didn't have a chance to decide before March pushed into a door and hurled the cat. It landed on its feet growling and streaked away.

It seemed to be a nice store, big with bright lights and lots of new clothes, and the quiet atmosphere instinctively wanted to make David be quiet and creep along politely. March apparently felt no such compulsion however, for he bellowed, "SOCKS! Help me catch my cat!" and shot off in the opposite direction of the cat.

David stood, almost crouched, in the door of the store, astonishment leaking into his blood. The new boy was mad.

The new boy was racing back to him, shouting, "Don't be a stick in the mud!" He reached David and yanked on his arm. "Come on! Don't you want to have fun?"

He really didn't want to have _this kind_ of 'fun,' whatever it was going to be, but this was the first person he'd ever met that could become a friend, and he didn't want to lose this chance. He didn't really want to go back to that stuffy underground apartment, either, and face his obnoxious mother and girly sister. So David started running after March and yelling, "Socks! Here, kitty!"

It wasn't long before they heard a man's voice calling after them, "You two! Little troublemakers! Get out!"

David, heart thumping hard from equal parts fear and exhilaration, heard March swear under his breath - was vaguely shocked at his language, in spite of the numbness from all the other shocks this day had shown him - and skidded sideways when March abruptly changed direction, heading straight for the brass racks of hanging clothing. The man followed them and March swore again.

"It didn't think they'd catch on nearly this quickly this time," he mumbled, and then laughed breathlessly. Without warning, he pitched sideways and snatched a clothing rack. They were on wheels, it seemed, because the skinny little kid moved it easily - directly in the path of their pursuer.

Out of the corner of his eye, David caught a glimpse of the cat and veered off toward it. He reached out a hand, trying to scoop it up, and the animal's back arched. It hissed at him menacingly before running away. He followed it into tall aisles lined by huge shelves of shoes. The cat disappeared from view, making David slow down to search for it carefully.

The sound of pounding feet snagged his attention and he looked up. March appeared at the end of the aisle. "What are you doing?" he hissed.

"Looking for the - "

"Idiot," March snapped. "The point isn't to catch the stupid thing!"

"Then what is the - " David's question was cut off when a hand landed on his shoulder. His heart leaped in terror and before anything else could touch him, he threw himself forward.

"Run!" March screamed, but David was already way ahead of him. He scampered past the boy, down another aisle, and emerged in a place he recognised - the doors out. He considered leaving through them, but he wasn't about to leave his new friend. He whirled around to the sight of March hurtling toward him, closely trailed by a man in dark clothes. "GO!" March yelled. "I'll be - " The man caught March, who struggled in his hold.

"No!" David yelped, abandoning all thoughts of escape. He pelted toward the man who was lifting March off his feet to toss him over his shoulder. He slammed into the man's stomach and March lurched. His foot grazed David's temple as he fell onto his rear, but he was free. David grasped his hand, yanked him to his feet and the two boys ran full tilt toward the exit.

Within moments, they were on the street and dodging pedestrians. March took the lead again and David found himself once more in that dirty alley where March had found the cat.

March was laughing maniacally, bent double and gasping for air.

Thoroughly bewildered, David asked, "What's so funny?"

He was slanted a look he couldn't read, but March answered, "The thrill of being chased!" He barked a laugh. "And they still have to deal with that stupid cat!" Then he continued laughing, and David let him. When he was finally done, he nudged David and led him back to the tree where, no more than two hours ago, they'd met.

"You know," March said thoughtfully, "you're a pretty good kid, saving me like that. Thanks. I'll see you around, maybe."

"Maybe..." David echoed. He wasn't sure if he wanted to see this mad boy again, but he had to admit, it had been pretty fun, running around the store like that without inhibitions.

"Well, I should probably get back to the orphanage," March muttered. His mood had darkened. "Bernadette is probably serving dinner right now."

"Yeah," David said, and they parted ways.

Little did either boy know today was only the beginning of a friendship that would shape both their futures.


End file.
